1983 Chrysler 45hp New Telltale installation but NO water from telltale

[CApTaInGoOfy]

So I was able to install the telltale with some difficulty as the square bolt was corroded on. With the wisdom of other members I was able to get it off and installed a 3/8" brass barb fitting and a 1/4" tube. Now the issue is I have no water coming from the new telltale installation. Ran the motor with muffs on and just had what I think as the normal flow of water coming out, but bone dry from the new telltale tube.

So not sure where to go from here. When I touch the head it is warm to the touch, I can keep my hand there the whole time it is running. I've had it on the water multiple times but I do run into the same weird problem after I have it running for possibly 15 minutes or so from the ramp to the bay. When I turn the engine off, and I go to start it back up I get nothing. The motor doesn't even turn over the choke doesn't engage. It's like I have a dead battery, but I know the battery is not dead as I just got a new battery last month before putting it on the water. It hasn't been on the water since August 2015, and it was having the same issues. Was hoping it wouldn't do it again but it repeated it self.

Linked the old post I had from August 2015. Wasn't sure if I should bring a year old post back to life by posting on it again so I made a new post. Any info would be awesome, and many thanks to all that helped with info with the Telltale install!

 

[CApTaInGoOfy]

Clip of it at idle.

 

[Derrick Fronckowiak]

Very interesting...That means I'm clueless. First question, why was there a plug where the tell tale is at? It was corroded it place so it's been there for a while. Could it be that your particular model is a variant of the engine that doesn't have a tell tale in that spot? Some tell tales shoot a small stream from the lower leg into the water (my little 8 HP Johnson kicker motor does that). Your video showed a steady stream coming from the lower leg cooling water exit port, so you got good flow (plus you said your motor is not heating up much). Also, didn't you say in the last forum that the thermostat looked all jacked up? Did you replace it? I'm grasping at straws here, but why did that tell tale have a plug on I to begin with? I'm shooting from the hip here, but maybe your looking for something that isn't supposed to be there (but maybe someplace else). Thoughts?

With regard to the non-starting after warm up, check all your electrical connects (especially grounds). Check for loose, brittle or corroded connections. Corroded connections can have high resistance, when the temperature increases at a connection (such as when things are warmed up) the resistance goes up, which means the load will draw more current (Ohm's Law) and give you the idea/feeling like the battery is drained. This can be on engine connections, on relays, and even on your ignition switch. If you find any corroded connections clean them off with a Scotch Brite pad (or fine grit sandpaper), reattach and cover with dialectric grease. You may also find an intermittent short to ground that is keeping you from getting cranking power. Checking and cleaning electrical connections can be a pain (due to the time and accessing all the connections), but it CAN keep you from buying and replacing components that won't fix your problem. Check the simple stuff first, eliminate them from the possibilities, then move forward from there.

 

[CApTaInGoOfy]

Very interesting...That means I'm clueless. First question, why was there a plug where the tell tale is at? It was corroded it place so it's been there for a while. Could it be that your particular model is a variant of the engine that doesn't have a tell tale in that spot? Some tell tales shoot a small stream from the lower leg into the water (my little 8 HP Johnson kicker motor does that). Your video showed a steady stream coming from the lower leg cooling water exit port, so you got good flow (plus you said your motor is not heating up much). Also, didn't you say in the last forum that the thermostat looked all jacked up? Did you replace it? I'm grasping at straws here, but why did that tell tale have a plug on I to begin with? I'm shooting from the hip here, but maybe your looking for something that isn't supposed to be there (but maybe someplace else). Thoughts?

With regard to the non-starting after warm up, check all your electrical connects (especially grounds). Check for loose, brittle or corroded connections. Corroded connections can have high resistance, when the temperature increases at a connection (such as when things are warmed up) the resistance goes up, which means the load will draw more current (Ohm's Law) and give you the idea/feeling like the battery is drained. This can be on engine connections, on relays, and even on your ignition switch. If you find any corroded connections clean them off with a Scotch Brite pad (or fine grit sandpaper), reattach and cover with dialectric grease. You may also find an intermittent short to ground that is keeping you from getting cranking power. Checking and cleaning electrical connections can be a pain (due to the time and accessing all the connections), but it CAN keep you from buying and replacing components that won't fix your problem. Check the simple stuff first, eliminate them from the possibilities, then move forward from there.

I was under the impression that once you removed the square plug and add a brass fitting with barb end to it water would shoot out the end of it. After going through the 15 page sticky it honestly sounded that simple to me. Remove square plug...replace with brass fitting...add hose.... start engine...stream of water....

Will check all electrical connections again.

 

[Derrick Fronckowiak]

You may be right about the tell tale fitting, but it baffles me because you have what appears to be good flow coming from your pump. Was your thermostat replaced? I don't see what else could be obstructing it. Have you ever taken off your lower unit and inspected the impellor? Just thinking about what the normal flow should be for your engine and if it's obstructed or there is enough wear on your impellor that it can't provided enough head pressure (just thinking out loud).

 

[CApTaInGoOfy]

You may be right about the tell tale fitting, but it baffles me because you have what appears to be good flow coming from your pump. Was your thermostat replaced? I don't see what else could be obstructing it. Have you ever taken off your lower unit and inspected the impellor? Just thinking about what the normal flow should be for your engine and if it's obstructed or there is enough wear on your impellor that it can't provided enough head pressure (just thinking out loud).

Replaced the impeller last August. Have not replaced the thermostat before. This boat is new to me since August 2015. Since then all I have replaced were the spark plugs and water pump kit, that's it. I had the lower unit off when I had to replace the water pump. Maybe I should replace the thermostat?

 

[Derrick Fronckowiak]

I have a buddy who wanted to check his cooling flow (different make on his engine, not a Force) who just pulled off his thermostat so the water could run freely through the water jackets (just for testing). Is it possible to pull off your thermostat and reinstall everything and see if you get water from your tell tale with the thermostat removed? If you get water from your tell tale after that maybe : (a) your thermostat is jacked up (replace it if so); (2) your thermostat is installed backwards (if that is even physically possible) or; (3) your thermostat has the wrong temperature rating on it and won't open because it won't get hot enough. Again, I'm out of my depth here, but just as an effort to eliminate your thermostat from being part of the problem. Otherwise, how is it possible to have a complete physical blockage that would keep ANY water from getting to your tell tale? Thoughts?

 

[CApTaInGoOfy]

I have a buddy who wanted to check his cooling flow (different make on his engine, not a Force) who just pulled off his thermostat so the water could run freely through the water jackets (just for testing). Is it possible to pull off your thermostat and reinstall everything and see if you get water from your tell tale with the thermostat removed? If you get water from your tell tale after that maybe : (a) your thermostat is jacked up (replace it if so); (2) your thermostat is installed backwards (if that is even physically possible) or; (3) your thermostat has the wrong temperature rating on it and won't open because it won't get hot enough. Again, I'm out of my depth here, but just as an effort to eliminate your thermostat from being part of the problem. Otherwise, how is it possible to have a complete physical blockage that would keep ANY water from getting to your tell tale? Thoughts?

Definitely not the thermostat just pulled it and boiled it and watched it open up slowly as well as close slowly when removed from the hot water. While removing the housing. 2/3 of the flat head screws broke off flush to the head....smh.... Can't seem to catch a break.... Was going to originally pull the thermostat and put the housing back on without the thermostat and run it and see what would happen. Now have to drill them out and tap the holes....than find out why water isn't getting to the telltale area which is directly above the thermostat housing area.

 

[CApTaInGoOfy]

I was able to drill the two broken bolts out and tapped them (10-24). Ran it without the thermostat and still not a drop from the telltale. Removed the hose coming from the thermostat housing and it is getting water sufficiently...So I wonder why it won't go up through the telltale.... is it not enough pressure? This is really baffling me. Any input would be great!

 

[Derrick Fronckowiak]

Is there any other tell tale on your engine, maybe one that squirts water down below that you can't see easily? Just wondering of there is another place where a tell tale is shooting out water, so it isn't going up to the head. What is your year, model and serial number again?

 

[Nordin]

Remember that the water take the easiest way out and maybe if the tell tale is located as in the video above in the thread, it looks to me that it has to lift up another 1 meter (3,3 foot).

Have you tried to pull the hose for the tell tale down to the midleg?

 

[CApTaInGoOfy]

Finally got it to work. The simple fix....not using muffs....smh. Took the muffs off and swapped it out for a bucket and night and day. Thanks for all the pointers

 

[jerryjerry05]

The muffs with the round ends are for bigger motors.
​The muffs you need are a cut down version.
Since Windows 10 came out I can't post pics or I'd show you the right ones

 

[CApTaInGoOfy]

The muffs with the round ends are for bigger motors.
​The muffs you need are a cut down version.
Since Windows 10 came out I can't post pics or I'd show you the right ones

I have thr round muffs aa well as the rectangular muffs. Are the rectangular ones the muffs you're ralking about?

 

[jerryjerry05]

No Title

Not the ones I'm talking about.
​But try using duct tape and seal it good.
Or real DEEP in a bucket. 3-4 in. over the cavitation plate.